Waiting to Exhale is a book about four African American women. Savannah, Robin, Bernadine, and Gloria. They all go through different phases of love and life. Savannah Jackson is a successful television producer who holds on to the faith that one day her married lover will leave his wife for her. Bernadine Harris leaves her own career dreams and wish of having a catering business to raise a family, and support her husband, who ends up leaving her for a white woman. Robin Stokes is a successful executive and the long time mistress of married Russell. Robin has problems finding a decent man of her own after leaving him. Gloria Matthews is a beauty salon owner and single mother. After being years alone, and finding out that her ex-husband, who
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At the beginning of the novel Savannah moves from Denver to Phoenix, because her friend, Bernadine lives there. Savannah has just landed a new job in Public Relations at a television station and has taken a pay cut just to leave the miseries of living in Denver. Savannah's mother, which Savannah greatly helps financially, does not understand why Savannah cannot find a man or a job that satisfy her. Her mother always calls her and nags about why she doesn’t have anyone and how she cant find someone. When Savannah got a blind date her mother was telling her what to do and kept asking what she was wearing. “ what are you wearing, why mama? , I just hope its something sexy…” (McMillan pg 7). “do you have a date? No but I was invited out, male or female? Male, then why aint you going with him?” (McMillan pg 8). She meet Lionel at the ballroom and had a very great begging night, she was dancing and drinking with him, they both liked the same songs and got along great, until some other girl came in the picture. She grabbed Lionel and danced with him. They were holding each other the same way savannah was with him and all she saw was that the girl was in her spot and that everything came crashing down. In the begging she was talking about all the guys that she had sex with that she talked to that she dated and …show more content…
Bernadine is really hurt by this because of the sacrifices she has made to help build her husband's business, and he has the courage to leave her for a white woman. The divorce process is more revealing than Bernadine could have ever imagined but she perseveres and successfully restructures her life. She knew something was going to happen with them because she was always complaining how she is going to leave him but she never did. She lived in a white neighborhood and she always had to be the calm women because she was black. He wanted the perfect relationship the “white life”. He wanted the 2.5 kids and picketed fence. But little did she know that he was living a whole different life. Filled with more money and other things she had never knew about. At the end it worked out to her favor. Her lawyer called and said “ how does nine hundred sixty-four thousand sound to you?, that’s almost a million…. John must be in his grave by now…” (McMillan pg 403
At the beginning of the novel Savannah moves from Denver to Phoenix, because her friend, Bernadine lives there. Savannah has just landed a new job in Public Relations at a television station and has taken a pay cut just to leave the miseries of living in Denver. Savannah's mother, which Savannah greatly helps financially, does not understand why Savannah cannot find a man or a job that satisfy her. Her mother always calls her and nags about why she doesn’t have anyone and how she cant find someone. When Savannah got a blind date her mother was telling her what to do and kept asking what she was wearing. “ what are you wearing, why mama? , I just hope its something sexy…” (McMillan pg 7). “do you have a date? No but I was invited out, male or female? Male, then why aint you going with him?” (McMillan pg 8). She meet Lionel at the ballroom and had a very great begging night, she was dancing and drinking with him, they both liked the same songs and got along great, until some other girl came in the picture. She grabbed Lionel and danced with him. They were holding each other the same way savannah was with him and all she saw was that the girl was in her spot and that everything came crashing down. In the begging she was talking about all the guys that she had sex with that she talked to that she dated and …show more content…
Bernadine is really hurt by this because of the sacrifices she has made to help build her husband's business, and he has the courage to leave her for a white woman. The divorce process is more revealing than Bernadine could have ever imagined but she perseveres and successfully restructures her life. She knew something was going to happen with them because she was always complaining how she is going to leave him but she never did. She lived in a white neighborhood and she always had to be the calm women because she was black. He wanted the perfect relationship the “white life”. He wanted the 2.5 kids and picketed fence. But little did she know that he was living a whole different life. Filled with more money and other things she had never knew about. At the end it worked out to her favor. Her lawyer called and said “ how does nine hundred sixty-four thousand sound to you?, that’s almost a million…. John must be in his grave by now…” (McMillan pg 403